The world of boxing has a new monarch. His name is Oleksandr Usyk. When he defeated Tyson Fury by split decision on Saturday night, the Ukrainian native became the third fighter in the four-belt era to become the undisputed champion in a second weight class. In 1999, there were just three recognized titles in rotation. Usyk became the first person to match Fury’s WBC and lineal heavyweight titles with his own WBA, WBO, and IBF titles.
Usyk also put forth a lot of effort to acquire the last jewel. In the early going, he had trouble keeping up with Fury’s antics as he showboated and danced around the ring, effectively exploiting his reach to annoy the smaller guy. Towards the end of the bout, however, Usyk changed the tide by rallying effectively and hanging tough. The pivotal moment occurred in Round 9, when Fury seemed to be knocked out on his feet by Usyk’s flawless left hook. The behemoth took additional punches as he staggered around the ring until he struck the mat. After getting back up, he barely made it through the round and didn’t seem like himself in the last three.
Now, the two are expected to face off in a high-profile rematch later this year, although Usyk won’t be defending his title because obligatory challengers are past due.
